Leviathan Short Stories
by Fuhreesha
Summary: A series of multi-genre one-shots and short stories from the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld.
1. Hand Holding

"Come on, Alek!" Deryn exclaimed as she caught hold of Alek's hand, "Dinner starts soon! They're serving potatoes tonight!"

The Austrian prince stopped dead in his tracks, "Dylan…why are you holding my hand?"

"B-b…because it's manly, that's why." The cross dresser said with renewed confidence.

Eyes slit, the boy replied, "Since when is holding hands manly?"

"Barking spiders! You don't know? It's a rite of manhood!" Surprise bloomed in Deryn's eyes.

Alek crossed his arms across his chest and looked skeptically at Deryn across the hallway in the dull green lighting. "Alek! How could you not know that men holding each other's hands are manly?"

The two friends turned around in surprise as Dr. Barlow came down the corridor with Tazza by her side. "Dr. Barlow! Surely, Dylan is lying?"

The lady boffin shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. "Alek, I thought that a boy of your high caliber would know of this!"

"This…this is ridiculous! You Darwinists are godless!" The troubled prince burst out.

"Godless? Oh please, don't be a dummkopf! I hold hands with Captain Hobbes all the time!"

Alek stared at Deryn in shock, mouth agape, "_Me? _A dummkopf? You two are the ones being ninnies! Besides, I know that straight men don't hold hands in Austria. Not unless there is a good reason, such as hanging for your life."

"Alek, are you implying that I'm homosexual? Because I am not in any way!" Deryn exclaimed, voice rising in pitch. A cough resounded from the other end of the hall.

"Oh, dear. I was afraid that we would come to this earlier than I scheduled…" Count Volger muttered as he walked towards the group.

"Volger!" Alek cried out, "please tell these beast lovers that men do _not_ hold hands!"

Volger looked at Alek sadly, "Alek, this hand holding information was the last piece to complete your education," he shot a glare at Deryn, "that your father planned out for you before his death. It is a valuable skill that must be displayed with diplomats and most importantly, in public. You cannot become the archduke without learning this skill, boy."

"Yes, because hand holding is my gateway to becoming the archduke." Alek said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Deryn nodded enthusiastically. "Aye, so you best start now, laddie!"

"But…but, men holding hands with men is ungodly…" The prince said, his voice faltering.

"Now Alek, I do not mean to demean you, but Dylan holds hands with that blasted man who calls himself the captain. Just look up to my cabin boy as an example, and you'll be the archduke in no time!" Dr. Barlow said pointedly. Alek looked at Deryn, who beamed back at the prince happily.

The group looked up as the other midshipman aboard the Leviathan emerged from the dining room. "Oi! The kitchen's fresh out of potatoes, Dylan. The crew descended on them like fabricated hawks! Maybe better luck next time." Newkirk said as he lumbered past the group and into his cabin.

"Blisters! Alek, you made me miss the potatoes!" And with that, Deryn stormed away from the hall and into her cabin.


	2. Grenade

This is a short story inspired by the song, 'Grenade' by Bruno Mars. The original idea of writing this fan fiction after songs is from Jett-Wolfe98.

Deryn looked at Alek longingly. _Cut it out, you ninny! _She mentally scolded herself as she shook her head clear of such girly thoughts.

It had been about two weeks since she had told Alek her true identity. He was surprised, as she had read that from his face, but he quickly got over it. Deryn assumed that it was because in the last month so much had changed in Alek's life; his parents' murder, living aboard the Leviathan, Istanbul, and now Deryn's secret burdened the Austrian prince.

And yet he was still completely oblivious to Deryn's true feelings for him.

"…was a good one, eh, Dylan?" Newkirk rambled.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening," she mumbled, blushing furiously, "These potatoes are really good."

"We're due to land in Japan tomorrow morning, and all you can think about are _potatoes_?" Alek chuckled.

"Well, the potatoes are pretty good! They're almost as good as my auntie's."

"I'll never understand you Darwinists!" The Austrian shook his head, "Anyways, I have to go check on the engines now. I'll meet up with you later, Dylan!"

Alek scurried out of the room while Deryn watched him. Her gaze still didn't leave the door as she thought about how much she would risk for Alek, the boy whose family affairs had become the world's affairs. She knew that Alek would also risk himself for her, as he had done with Deryn's secret. But for Alek, it would be out of friendship. For Deryn, it would also be out of friendship, but part of it would be deeper…out of love.


	3. Facial Hair

Deryn lightly jogged through the dimly lit corridors of the Leviathan. She was headed topside for her fencing lesson with Alek. Ever since Alek's true identity was published in the news, the crew of the Leviathan had been quite lenient with the Austrians and not acting as hostile. Of course, they still had to work their Stormwalker engines to keep the giant beastie on course to Japan.

With all these thoughts running through her mind, the cross dresser failed to notice Count Volger also coming down the hall until she practically bumped into him.

"Ah, _Mr. _Sharp. Fancy meeting you here." Volger said with a glint in his eyes.

Deryn looked up to the tall count, "Er, yes, sir. I was just heading topside to fence wi—" Her voice faltered as she caught notice of the count's mustache.

A new realization hit her hard as she exclaimed, "Blisters, is that Bovril?"

Confusion crossed Volger's face, "What in blazes are you talking about, girl?"

"Aye, well, I was referring to the hair below your nose. I'm pretty sure that's Bovril."

"Bov-BOVRIL? That infernal godless creature that Alek owns? Why would I be wearing that _thing_ on my face?"

"Oh, never mind, Count. Now that I look closely, I think that the hair on your face has a wee bit of gray. Bovril isn't gray." Deryn said, tentatively poking at Volger's mustache.

Deryn was still poking the man's mustache when Alek walked in. "D-Dylan! What are you doing?"

"_Mr._ Sharp." Bovril chimed.

Deryn looked from Alek's bewildered face, to the beastie, to Volger's mustache. "Just stroking Count Volger's mustache. A laddie can do that, can't he?"

Alek, fully clad in fencing armor, moved towards the pair. "Volger, you have a mustache? Since when?"

The count started to retort, but stopped short when Alek started stroking his facial hair as well. "The hair does look a little like Bovril, doesn't it?" The prince said, transfixed.

"Aye, that's what I was saying earlier!"

Volger rolled his eyes. "Now, would you two be so kind as to leave me to my own devices?" He said, stepping away from the pair, "Alek, I'd like to have a word with you later, concerning your newfound obsession with potatoes." With that last word, Volger strode down the hall, rather quickly.

"Potatoes? I thought the kitchen was all out!"

Alek blushed a scarlet red. "Well…I have to go help Klopp with the engines now! See you, Dylan!"

A smile lit Bovril's furry face, "Teehee!"

Deryn called after the two, boy and beast, "Alek! What about my fencing lesson?" she groaned in frustration when Alek pretended not to hear and rounded the corner, "What _is _it with Clankers?"


	4. Crossdresser

Deryn Sharp stood outside of Dr. Barlow's quarters, poised to rap on the sturdy fabricated wood. However, before she could, the lady boffin herself opened the door.

"Mr. Sharp!" she said with surprised look on her face, "What brings you here?"

Deryn looked around nervously before clearing her throat. "If you don't mind, Dr. Barlow…can we go into your room?"

"Why, of course," she replied, now with a look of interest. The two stepped into the room, where Deryn was immediately greeted by a bouncy Tazza. She leaned down to pat him while the boffin took a seat at her desk.

Deryn straightened up and turned to face the woman, nervous with the secret she was about to reveal. "Well, er, Dr. Barlow…your first couple of days here you noticed something…different about me. While we were looking at the ship's bees, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, Mr. Sharp. But if you are concerned about me revealing your age, there's nothing to be afraid of. I am a woman of my word."

"Aye, well, you only guessed part of the truth. I am only fifteen…but I'm also a lassie."

There was a stunned silence in the cabin as Dr. Barlow absorbed this. Deryn still wasn't quite sure why she revealed herself to the lady boffin herself. Was it because she thought as a woman, she would be able to help her with Alek?

_I'm such a ninny. A barkin- _Deryn was shaken from her thoughts as Dr. Barlow spoke up.

"This is quite an interesting turn of events…"

"Deryn. Deryn Sharp."

"Yes, this is quite interesting, Deryn. However, I'm afraid I am beyond the ability to help you with whatever reason you have told me this." The boffin leaned forward in her chair, looking at Deryn with a strange expression, "Because, I am no woman. I am a man."

The midshipman was shocked. How could Dr. Barlow ever pull that off? But then, sh-_he_ was a clever-boots. Dr. Barlow cleared his throat, and spoke in a masculine voice, "You may be wondering, 'Why a woman?' Why yes, it is very hard for any woman to get recognized these days. But, as a woman's rights activist, I pretended to be one so that females will one day be equal to men. As Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow, I have achieved much, however, my name is really Dr. Norm Barlow Darwin."

"Dr…Darwin, you're really a woman's rights activist?"

Dr. Darwin laughed a laugh much similar to Dr. Barlow's, but this one deeper. "Of course not! I was just joking around! I actually dressed up as a woman because I wanted to know how it felt to be one!"

Deryn looked on, bewilderment written across her face as Tazza seemed to join in with Dr. Darwin's laughter. "Okay, well…Dr. Darwin, I'll be going now."

The boffin seemed too occupied with laughing as the middy slipped out of the room. After the door closed shut, he straightened up, all serious. "Tazza, go fetch me some potatoes from the ship's bees."

Tazza turned to Dr. Darwin with an almost mechanical-like quality. "Yes, sir," the thylacine said in a robotic tone, red lights flashing where the eyes should have been, "I will retrieve you some starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family."

Even though Dr. Darwin had revealed that there was no Dr. Barlow, he still kept Deryn in the dark about him being a Clanker.


	5. Alone

Deryn dared to look at the headline of the newspaper once again, tears threatening to spill over her lashes. Written across the front of the paper in large, taunting letters was:

**NEW EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA TO BE WED**

"It should have been me," Deryn whispered hoarsely. She thought back to the night she revealed herself to Alek. After a heated debate about women not being as superior to men, the then prince accepted her for who she was. What he didn't realize then, the _dummkopf,_ was the cross-dresser's true feelings for him.

Eight years later, Deryn still couldn't believe she was thinking about Alek. But blisters, she _loved_ him. She loved him so much.

Blonde curls tickling her shoulders, Deryn wheeled herself to the kitchen, where her auntie had made some mashed potatoes for her. She picked sullenly at the starchy material, still lost in past adventures.

After Istanbul, the Leviathan was headed towards America. However, the crew had to take a slight detour and drop off supplies for Russia's fabricated fighting bears. While there, Germans attacked.

Deryn closed her eyes, reliving the memory. Battle was everywhere; she remembered scrambling topside to release the fléchette bats, however, she was so panicked she forgot her safety harness. A German zeppelin had spotted both of the middies and released gun fire from afar. Luckily, there hadn't been any hydrogen leaks at the time. But three bullets had hit her, causing the middy to fall off the airship in the midst of landing.

She still remembered the crew's shock after taking her to the ship's doctors. Word of her true identity was sent to the Prime Minister. Because of her previous noble actions, she was not hanged. However, she was banned from the air force. But it hadn't mattered anyways, because the fall off of the Leviathan took away the use of her legs.

Now Deryn was back in Glasgow, confined to her family's house. Day by day, night by night, she tailored clothing. For the poor, for the rich, it didn't matter. Just as long she had something to keep her occupied.

Deryn snuck one last look at the headline. And the tears finally came.


	6. Secrets 1

Alek stared at Dylan, no, _Deryn_ in shock. "What do you mean, you're a _girl_?" The boy sputtered, unable to contain himself.

Deryn looked up at Alek, tears in her eyes, and spoke softly. "Aye, I'm a girl." She paused, and looked up at the boy with a fierce gaze. "I joined for Da, Alek. I joined because I needed to fly again."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Alek fully registered what his best friend has just told him.

He suddenly jumped up, anger replacing his initial disbelief. "You don't belong here! Women shouldn't be working in the air force!" He practically shouted.

"You don't have any say in this! You're a barking Clanker! You have no right!" The cross-dresser hissed under her breath.

Alek spun around, reaching for the door knob of the supply closet they were hiding in. "Alek…please don't tell anyone…" Deryn pleaded, becoming desperate.

He paused, hand still on the knob as he noticed the change in the girl's tone.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone, Deryn. I was just going to think over this with a plate of potatoes. But now that you mention it, maybe I will." He replied, his back still turned to her. The Clanker quickly opened the door, only to run straight into…Newkirk!

"Excuse me." Alek muttered angrily, pushing Newkirk out of his way. The boy stomped down the hall, and went out of sight.

"Is it true?" the middy asked, turning back to Deryn. "Is it true that you're a girl?"

She looked up at her fellow middy, suddenly exhausted. "Aye, I am."

Newkirk broke into a wide grin. "Well, I think that it's bloody brilliant! This just comes to show that women are just as good at men at these things!" He leaned down, extending a hand to the girl.

Deryn ignored his offer, but smiled back, glad that someone was on her side. He didn't seem to notice as she got to her feet without his help. "I still can't believe it…" Newkirk continued, shaking his head.

"Aye, well, we better report to Mr. Rigby, see if there's any work left to do." Deryn said, wiping away her tears with one sleeve. "They crew must have noticed their two best middies missing by now."

"You know, Deryn, if word of this ever gets to the Admiralty, I bet you'd be the gateway to women entering the air force. Especially with that fancy medal of yours and all the deeds you've done for the ship."

"Newkirk…you can't tell anyone about this, you hear? There's no barking way they'd ever allow women into the air force!"

Newkirk looked into Deryn's eyes and saw the truth written there. "Aye…I won't tell anyone. I promise, Deryn."


	7. Secrets 2

Staring out of the Leviathan's wide windows, Alek was still fuming over his fight with Deryn. He sighed as he plopped a potato into his mouth. _How could she have lied to me for so long? I told her all of _my_ secrets! _He angrily set down his plate of potatoes.

The Clanker sat at the table, reeling the argument over and over in his mind. "_Mr._ Sharp!" Bovril chuckled. Alek gave a start as the little beastie clambered onto his shoulder. He had nearly forgotten about Bovril in his fury.

Alek abruptly stood up. "Walk?" Bovril inquired. His suspicions were confirmed when the boy strode out of the room and into the hall.

He had only been walking for a short while before chancing upon Deryn and Newkirk in the hallway. Alek stopped in his tracks immediately and fell in step with the shadows, peeking around the corner of the hall to spy on the two.

"…wanted to dress you up in skirts and dresses? Against your will?"

"Aye, she figured that I should become a proper lady after my Da died. Thought that I should stop dressing like a lad, and try to be pretty for once."

"Deryn…I think that you're pretty." Newkirk said, looking Deryn in the eye. The two stared at each other for a stretch of time before Newkirk leaned forward and placed a tentative kiss on Deryn's cheek.

Alek watched long enough to see the wide smile and scarlet red blush on Deryn's face before spinning around and walking down the other end of the hall. The boy couldn't quite place it, but he felt something stir deep inside him. He suddenly hated Newkirk for being so accepting of Deryn's secret.

"Jealousy," Bovril chortled, still perched on Alek's shoulder.


	8. Secrets 3

"Ah, Aleksander," Count Volger said, looking up at the prince from his potatoes, "What brings you here today?" The count, as always, maintained a completely stoic face.

Alek closed the door shut behind him, and treaded carefully across his former tutor's quarters. He sighed as he unceremoniously plopped down on the man's bed. "It's just that…well, I have some, er, issues that I need help with."

The plate of potatoes clattered onto the table as Volger leaned forward in his chair, raising one eyebrow. "What issues, your highness? Are these issues the same kind that your parents dealt with?"

Alek swore softly. The man always had a knack for guessing what was on his mind. "It's…it's sort of like that." he stammered, blushing furiously. The boy's fencing master leaned back in his chair, an expression of concern written across his face.

"It's just that, now that I realize Dylan is…is a girl, I can't stop thinking about her!" he cried out, running his hands through his hair frantically, "I think I'm in love."

Volger's face softened at the mention of this. "Aleksander, you know that you can't be," he spoke softly, voice filled with an underlying urgency, "she's still a commoner, and you're the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary."

"I know that, Volger!" he snapped, taking on a tone of desperation. "But it's not like it matters anyways. That dummkopf, Newkirk, seems to have already gotten off with her."

"Alek, if you came here to ask how to dispose of Newkirk in this love triangle, you are sadly mistaken." the Count said sharply, crossing his arms. "I cannot help you get together with Dylan, you know I can't. It will be for the best if you just forget about her."

"B-but, I can't! Not while we're on this godless ship!" Alek exclaimed, using his arms to indicate the Leviathan.

"Yes, well, that can be arranged." Volger mused, "I'll send for Klopp and the others to plan our escape once we land."


	9. On the Run 1

**And alternate ending to Behemoth if Deryn decided to go with Alek. (I found out that you can bold words, and it'll appear! WOO.) This will probably be three or five parts, depending on how much I can fit in each chapter.**

Breaths coming in shallow pants, Deryn sprinted as fast as she humanly could. What a _dummkopf_ she'd been to choose to escape into the wilderness that was the Ottoman Empire. She scowled under her breath, the enormity of her decision finally dawning on her.

"You…okay, Dylan?" Alek gasped, slowing down so that he could run beside his best friend. They didn't dare look at each other, fearing that one of them would stumble or trip if they did.

"Aye," the cross-dresser managed, her face now covered in a cold sweat. It had been at least forty-five minutes since the pair had signaled 'S-H-A-R-P' to the Leviathan, using the large, mechanical arms of the Orient-Express.

Since then, they had been running, non-stop. Since the downfall of the Tesla cannon, Alek and Deryn had yet to be spotted by any walkers. They had run away from the walkers, heading towards the beach. There, they had skirted the coastline until they reached the city.

Which had brought them to their current situation. German soldiers were now in pursuit of unlikely pair, shouting curses and bearing guns. Both Deryn and Alek had forgotten to slow their pace down to walking speed once they arrived at the main part of the city. This had aroused suspicion, and brought the soldiers running after them.

"Blisters, these guys…just won't let us go!" Deryn shouted back at the foot soldiers, annoyance clearly showing in her voice.

There was a brief silence between them, as they listened to their own footsteps on the cobblestone echoing with the shouts of the soldier behind them.

"I know. We have to…lose them, and then find…a place to stay." Alek replied, with his brow furrowed in concentration. "There!" the prince exclaimed, "The rooftops!"

Deryn looked up and saw the perfect path cut out for them. Piles of flour, shipping crates, and an abandoned food stall located in the alley they had just turned into made a make-shift stair case for them to access the rooftops.

Looking back over her shoulder, Deryn saw the Germans just rounding the corner. With a burst of adrenaline, she sped ahead of Alek and sprung off the cobblestone onto the shipping crates, missing the flour sacks entirely. The top half of her body made it onto the top of the crates, leaving her to struggle for a moment before Alek pushed her up from behind. She hurriedly straightened up and leaned down to pull up her friend.

"Thanks," Alek heaved as they started for a running jump which would send them onto the stall. Within moments, the sounds of their boots thumped against the solid wood of the stall. Now with only about five feet left to reach the top of the buildings, they scrabbled for purchase on the brick wall.

They had just got back their footing when the German soldiers started firing. "Oi! There might be a hy-" Deryn stopped midsentence, realizing that she was stuck in the middle of Clanker land. There would be no airships around except for the Leviathan, and that was miles back where they had left it.

A sudden pang of loss hit Deryn as she realized what she had given up. Her rank in the air force, her home in the sky, and her family. "Come one, Dylan!" Alek shouted, alarm widening his eyes. Deryn snapped out of her reverie. Now was _not_ the time to be feeling sorry for herself.

Alek started running at a brisk pace, watching where he was stepping. Deryn followed him, sneaking a glance behind her to check on the Germans. Some of them were trying to follow the path Deryn and Alek had taken, but failed miserably when the stall collapsed under their combined weight.

More shots echoed through the night as Deryn moved her gaze over to the ground, where foot soldiers were still shooting at them. She smiled to herself as she heard them shout, storing some choice curse words in her mind for later use.

Deryn spied a spot where the pair could descend back into the streets when she cried out in pain. Looking down, she saw a patch of dark red blossom across the left side of her stomach. "Blast it!" Alek cursed, noticing that Deryn had been hit. Looking behind the wounded midshipman, he saw who fire the bullet.

A German soldier stood back where the food stall led them to the rooftops, arm extended. It was sheer luck that he hit Deryn at all! The soldier stared at his gun, dumbfounded that he had hit one of them.

"Let's go!" Alek urged, helping Deryn support her left side. They scrambled down from the rooftops and dropped down into the streets. Deryn winced in pain at the impact, her right hand pressing hard into the wound.

Walking at a fast pace, they set off down the street and rounded a corner. After about fifteen minutes of wandering through the cobblestone streets of Istanbul, Alek spotted a decent looking hotel that they could stay at. Without a word, the pair hobbled inside.


	10. On the Run 2

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril chirped happily. Alek opened his eyes groggily, staring straight back at the tiny loris on his chest. In last night's escape from the Germans, he had nearly forgotten that the beastie was with them.

He sat up; throwing the thin blanket that had covered him in sleep onto the wooden floor. "No, it's _Miss_ Sharp now, Bov." Alek shook his head, still not understanding. But his confusion was quickly forgotten as remembered Dylan's side wound.

Now standing up, Alek moved from the plush couch he slept on to Dylan's bedside. He put a cautious hand to her forehead. Normal. The Clanker sighed in relief, glad that his friend wasn't sick as well as shot.

Dylan stirred in his sleep, muttering about a hot air balloon. Startled, the boy quickly withdrew his hand from his friend's forehead and moved the sheets of the bed to check on the girl's wound. The blood had stopped, leaving the gauze which Alek had used the night before to wrap the wound in a dark brown.

The volume of her mutterings increased, the words now audible, "Da! It's on fire! What do I do?" Alek looked around wildly, searching for something to silence his friend's shrieks of terror. Eventually, he decided that waking up Dylan was the best solution.

"A-Alek? What happened? Where are we?"

There was a brief pause as Alek stopped to recollect his thoughts. "Last night, after you got…wounded, we came down into the streets. Then, we were wandering about for a bit before I found this hotel for us. You were pretty lucky, the bullet passed right through you, but I don't know if it hit anything important." he said, gesturing to the stand next to the bed where the bullet lay, crusted with the girl's blood.

"Was I conscious during any of this? Because I don't remember anything…" Dylan trailed off, suddenly looking very tired.

"I…I don't think you were conscious. Because after a few minutes of wandering the streets, I was practically carrying you. You're surprisingly light, you know."

"Oh." Dylan uttered that single word before realizing there was a bigger problem at hand. "My wound is wrapped; and you said the bullet is out, aye? So you saw what was beneath…when you did."

Alek looked up at Dylan now, and saw the light of determination in her blue eyes before replying. "Yes, I admit that I was a bit…shocked. But it all makes sense now, I suppose." His face reflected puzzlement as he continued, "But why did you do it, Dylan? War is no place for women. You could have died."

"What are you blithering about, Alek? I've proved myself to be a useful component of the Royal Air Force more than twice over!" Dylan's initial anger to Alek's view of women gave way to sadness. "But, you also wanted to know why I joined. It's…a long story, but I joined because I needed to fly again; feel the whoosh of air through my hair, my body. I couldn't help it…the sky's my home."

The prince blinked in surprise. But of course, this was _Dylan_ he was talking about. He couldn't help but admire her tenacity to pursue her dreams. Dylan, crazy but brilliant at the same time. "So, is your real name Dylan or…?" Alek asked, embarrassed that he didn't even know his best friend's name.

She smiled, "As a lass, I go by Deryn. Deryn Sharp."

"Deryn. That's a beautiful name." Alek replied, and then blushed furiously. What was he doing? She was a commoner, blast it! He couldn't afford to harbor any feelings for her! "I-I mean, it's fitting. For you, with your, um, personality and…all."

Deryn raised an intuitive eyebrow. "Thanks." She then sat up, groaning, but shot an I-can-get-up-on-my-own look at Alek when he tried to help. "Aye, so now that the niceties have been exchanged, what's next?"

Alek moved onto the bed, sitting on the side. "For now, we have to wait for you to get better. We can get by with this for the time being." he said, producing the small lump that was left of the gold bar.

He handed the gold to Deryn, who traced her finger over the Hapsburg symbol engraved onto the now coin-shaped lump. "I wonder if Klopp and Bauer made it back to the Leviathan all right."

"They probably did. I imagine that they'll be kept under close watch now that Mr. Malone has published my interview."

"Aye, that's right! Barking spiders, the whole world knows what you look like now!"

"That's true, but if the Committee won the battle last night, then the sultan will be rounding up the Germans to send them out of Istanbul."

Deryn pondered this for a moment before she answered. "Then hopefully there won't be anyone chasing us here. But for now, I'm starving, let's order some potatoes."

Bovril, who had been silent up until this point, clambered up onto Deryn's shoulder. "Potatoes!" the beastie exclaimed, then swiped his tongue over his mouth.

**I present you with chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it! There was a lot of dialogue…anyways, I managed to get potatoes into this one, WOOP. Please review!**


	11. On the Run 3

**I give you the third part to 'On the Run'! Things are starting to get interesting…This one took a while to type up, by my standards, so please read and review! **

"I can't believe that I agreed to this. You could have chosen something drab and less posh at least!" Deryn muttered under her breath to Alek. It had been two weeks since their daring escape and the girl had finally gotten well enough to venture outside.

"Well, it's just in case they sent anyone after us. Besides, it's only proper for you to wear clothes for the gender you born as." Alek replied sardonically, squinting in the broad daylight.

Bovril squirmed on Deryn's shoulder. "Dark," the beastie complained. Deryn sighed, rolling her eyes simultaneously. The poor loris was unable to see anything because he was effectively hidden underneath the veil she was wearing. She was wearing some sort of colorful Turk robes of some sort. They were light on the body and quite thin, which made Deryn feel exposed.

"Right, so we need to find a map, now that my old one is back at the Committee headquarters so we can plan where to head to next," the prince mused to himself, while narrowly avoiding bumping into a group of women in the bustling street.

Deryn's brow furrowed in confusion as she realized something. "Alek, why are we staying in a hotel when we can be staying at the Committee headquarters? It's not like they don't know you're a barking prince."

"Blast it, Deryn! Keep your voice down, people might be listening," the boy said angrily, gesturing to the street full of people, vendors, and stalls around them. "We aren't staying with Nene's family, because I don't want to drag them into this as well."

"Oh, that makes perfect sense, your archdukeness." Deryn said sarcastically, heeding his previous warning. "So you don't want to bring her family into your 'on the run' life, but you'll drag me into it?"

Alek was silent as he studied the newspapers at a nearby stand. "You didn't have to help me, Deryn. You could have gone back at to the Leviathan if you wanted." He shaved some gold off of the coin, and paid the vendor for the newspaper he bought.

"Aye, I s'ppose you've got a point there. But it was almost as if I had no choice!" But really, Deryn was presented with a choice. It was only her raw feelings that had made her the decision at the time. "Alek, look! I think that stall's selling some of those fancy maps you want," she pointed, effectively diverting the subject matter of the conversation.

The Clanker prince picked up two maps when they got to the vendor. "These look good," he nodded, indicating the maps. One was of Europe; the other was a close-up of the Ottoman Empire. Alek paid the maps seller and thanked him in German.

"We are right here," Alek announced, pointing at Istanbul, which was labeled Constantinople on the map.

"Aye, I know how to read, Alek." Deryn said, not impressed. But what she _was_ impressed by was the shadow puppets. The girl had been skeptical at first about the café, but once she got inside, she became captivated by the puppets. How they moved so smoothly across the light and how the machines behind them made virtually no sound at all. But what really caught her attention were the puppets. The details and the figures were barking brilliant.

The boy harrumphed, and studied the map by himself. "So what about that paper you bought? Any interesting news?" the ex-cross-dresser inquired.

Without a word, Alek pulled the paper from his suit and handed it to Deryn. She studied the picture of the front page, and felt a squick of relief. On the front cover was a picture of the Behemoth destroying the Goeben, with the Leviathan in the background. The girl skimmed her eyes down so that she could read the caption, when, "This is written in barking Clanker! How am I supposed to read this?"

Alek sighed impatiently and snatched the paper out of her hands. "Here, I'll translate for you." The boy cleared his throat, and Deryn rolled her eyes. "_Darwinist Fabrication sinks German Ironclads_. It just says what we already know; the Leviathan led the Behemoth to sink the _Goeben_ and the _Breslau_. Oh, here's an interesting bit. The sultan is nowhere to be found, and they say that he's gone to some kind of safe bunker."

"Which means that we won!" Deryn exclaimed happily.

The boy read over the rest of the article before replying. "It looks like it; the Committee of Union and Progress are taking over for the time being, and German troops in the country are being rounded up to be sent out!" he said, relieved that Zaven didn't die for a lost cause.

"Ihre Kartoffeln, sir." A young boy appeared at the side of the table, carrying a plate of steaming potatoes.

"Danke," Alek said, taking the plate, and tipped the boy with some coins he had gotten as change in the markets of Istanbul. The boy grinned and scurried away, probably to get more food to serve to other customers.

Once the boy was gone, Bovril climbed down from Deryn's shoulder and snatched up a potato. "Potato!" the beastie munched happily, wide eyes gleaming.

Deryn chuckled, "Looks like Bov's favorite food are potatoes now." Her giddy demeanor changed as she looked up at Alek. "What are we going to do now? Stay in the city, escape into the wilds of Ottoman Empire?"

Alek sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Deryn was hit with a pang of longing; how she wished she could run her hands through his reddish-brown locks! "I'm not sure. Wars last for years, Deryn. And now that Istanbul is being purged of the Germans, I think that we should stay here until it all blows over. But," he said, holding up the Hapsburg coin, "I'm afraid this won't be able to last us that long."

"Aye, I think you're right. But if we run out of the gold, we can always take up jobs! For example, you're brilliant with mechanical things and I can tailor clothes decently," she said matter-of-factly.

The boy nodded, glad that Deryn was there to reassure him. "That might be a good plan, it'll probably be a little hard to find work at first, though. Brilliant thinking, Deryn!" he said warmly and placed his hand over hers.

Deryn blushed a beet red, feeling the electricity crackled between them. Alek's eyes widened in surprise, and he pulled his hand away, realizing what he'd done. "S-sorry, Deryn," the boy muttered, avoiding eye contact.

But Deryn, persistent as she was, was not going to let him slip away that easily. "Blisters, there's nothing to be sorry about, Alek! We're best friends, remember?"

The Clanker prince looked up at Deryn, tears brimming in his eyes. "I know, Deryn. But I fear that I'm starting to feel that we're more than best friends."

**INCEPTION. Told you things were starting to get interesting, did I not? C: Hope you liked it!**


	12. On the Run 4

**Hello, and welcome to the fourth part of 'On the Run.' Please, take a seat and enjoy. ^^**

Mouth literally hanging open in shock, Alek wondered if what he had just confessed to Deryn was the wisest decision. "I…uh, I, erm…" the Clanker stuttered, furiously blinking away tears. _I'm such a dummkopf! Why did I tell her that?_

"Alek…" Deryn began, now placing her hand on top of Alek's, "I...I feel the same way about you, too." The boy looked up at her, and smiled sadly.

He shook his head. "It'll never work out, Deryn. Even if we were to be together…I just couldn't do the same thing to my children, like my parents did to me." Tears now flowing freely, he softly repeated, "It just wouldn't work out."

Bovril, who had been quietly eating until this point, set his potato down and cocked his head to one side. "Love," the wee beastie said matter-of-factly. Bovril's outburst only made things worse. Alek choked back a sob, and Deryn glared at the beastie.

The Clanker prince, head now in his hands, was shaking with emotion. He never thought that he would have such strong feelings for a girl, especially one that dressed like a boy, no less! But now that he did, he couldn't control himself. He loved Deryn Sharp, he knew that for a fact. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Deryn turned her attention back to Alek, eyes softening. "Alek, there's nothing that we can do about this; how we feel about each other." Now the girl couldn't bear to see her best friend like this, broken. She shifted her gaze to the shadow puppets, still speaking, "But I personally think it's full of clart, that you can't be with who you want. Especially since you're the barki-"

The girl was abruptly cut off as Alek moved closer, pulled off the veil covering her face, cupped her cheek, and kissed her full on the lips. Deryn squeaked with surprise, but didn't pull away. Alek grinned into their kiss, their tear-streaked, salty kiss. He knew that what he was doing was wrong. He shouldn't be kissing this girl, this commoner. But as Bovril had just stated the obvious a few minutes prior, he couldn't deny his feelings for her.

After a few moments, Deryn pulled away. "Blisters!" she breathed, dumbstruck. Alek dropped his hand from her cheek and sat back down in his seat.

"I'm sorry, Deryn it's just that…" the boy trailed off, then regained his posture and look Deryn squarely in the eye. "It's just that you were right. I'm the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, I should be able to choose who I want to be with," he proclaimed, taking her hands, "And I choose you, Deryn Sharp."

A wide grin spread across Deryn's face, which caused Alek to grin back in return. They sat there for a long while, grinning at each other like a pair of love-struck fools.

**I'M SORRY. I've never written anything really romantic…so when I did, I ended up making it so damn SAPPY. And Alek had an emotional breakdown. o_o**


	13. On the Run 5

Deryn awoke to find her fists curled tightly into Alek's shirt. Smiling to herself, she looked up to find two emerald green eyes looking back at her fondly. "How did you sleep?" the prince asked, twirling her short blonde hair between his fingers.

"I slept fine," she replied, messing with the fabric of the boy's shirt, "my side doesn't hurt at all anymore. Thanks to you." The girl sat up, still leaning against Alek's chest and sighed contently.

The Clanker prince looked at her, eyes twinkling. "I only saved your life, no need to thank me."

"Shove it!" Deryn said playfully, punching Alek in the arm. "Blisters, I'm starving. Let's go get some food."

"Potatoes!" Bovril shouted, laughing maniacally.

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Are you sure these are even barking potatoes?" Deryn asked, skeptical. It wasn't every day that one came across purple potatoes, after all.

Alek laughed, "Yes, the person manning the stall said they were edible." He took a potato from Deryn's hands and started to eat it.

Bovril scurried out of Deryn's veil and took a potato back up to her shoulder to eat. "Edible," the beastie chuckled.

It was early morning and the streets of Istanbul were as crowded as ever. Deryn kept a sharp ear out, trying to listen for German words and seeing if she understood them. Of course, it was nearly impossible. Any distinguishable voice was drowned out by the hundreds of others. Not to mention that they were about a dozen barking languages being spoken in the one city.

The girl sighed and took a potato herself, taking a tentative bit. After a moment of chewing, she decided that the potato was a bit sweeter than a normal potato, but it had a foreign tang to it. "I'd take normal potatoes over these any day! I mean, why purple? They might as well be barking eggplants!"

The Clanker boy shook his head, smiling slightly. "Ah, looks like there's a new headline on the news today." Alek moved closer to a news stand, Deryn trailing close behind.

"You should get one written in something other than Clanker this time, Aleksander," Deryn said, pointing to a newspaper written in English. Alek took the paper from the pile and paid the man in charge of the stall golden shavings.

"That should buy him a week's worth of purple potatoes," Alek mused.

The pair were about to turn a corner into the street where their hotel was when a tall man bumped into them. "Entschuldigen Sie," the man said gruffly, and then walked off at a quickening pace.

Alek scowled and started to straighten his clothes. "Can't they be a little more considerate?"

Still watching the mysterious man walk away, Deryn saw as he looked back at them and started to sprint. "Hold on a squick, Alek…that man just started to ru-" She was cut off when she realized that her companion had run off after the man.

Throwing her hands up in despair, she exclaimed, "Blisters, can't a middy get any rest?"

VVVVVVVVVVVVV

It didn't take long for Deryn Sharp to catch up with Alek. He was just a prince, after all. She was in the barking Royal Air Force! "You bum-rag! Couldn't have you at least told me before you went running off?"

"Sorry, Deryn," Alek huffed, "it's just that, I realized that man had a German accent, and then I noticed that my scroll was gone."

Deryn's eyes widened in surprise, "Barking spiders! You brought the scroll with you? Why would you do that?"

Bovril clutched Deryn's shoulder, hard. "Protect," the creature said simply.

"Exactly. I didn't want anything to happen like last time."

Thinking back, Deryn realized what Alek meant. He didn't want to leave the scroll in a hotel, only to have to go back and break into the place. She shrugged. Deryn couldn't blame him, that scroll was the key to his future. A future that would include Deryn Sharp, no matter what the cost.

"There he is!" the girl pointed, indicating the bundle of short, red hair running away from them. She took hold of her rigging knife, ready for action. After about two weeks of confinement to the hotel, Deryn was starving for something exciting.

Bovril starting to create a clopping noise, bouncing up and down on Deryn's shoulder. "Horses! We have to get him before he gets on one!" Alek swore, and started sprinting.

They were weaving in and out of groups of people, and bumping into a large number, which resulted in a lot of angry shouts. "Ladder!" the beastie cheered, now hugging Deryn's neck. She looked around quickly, and spotted what Bovril had pointed out.

Deryn took hold of Alek's hand and they made a full out sprint towards the ladder. They had to knock down a fruit stand guarding the passage to gain access to the ladder. Shouting erupted from the woman selling the fruits as they started to climb.

"Oi! Stop dawdling!" the middy shouted, pulling Alek up onto the roof. "Come on, he's just over there!" She pointed to the German, who was less than fifty feet away from them. The Darwinist and Clanker broke into a sprint; the girl's colorful robes trailing in the wind behind her and the boy holding a hand to the fez atop his head.

They had closed the gap considerably when Deryn noticed that the German was veering towards the side of the buildings that they were running on. And then she noticed the horse tethered outside a hotel, waiting for the thief.

Making a quick, but rash decision, Deryn ran to the edge of the rooftops. And leapt right off. She faintly heard Alek's shouts and barely felt Bovril squeeze her shoulder with all his might. All of Deryn Sharp's attention was focused on bringing the German down.

"Take that, you bum-rag!" the girl shouted, hitting the red-headed man full on. They both fell to the ground, and the same streets that were bustling with people a moment ago were now deserted.

The looked quite dazed, but quickly recovered, throwing a light-weight Deryn off of his body. "Blast!" the girl cursed. She pulled out her rigging knife and tackled the man to the ground once again, holding the knife to his throat.

It was at this moment that Alek made it to the scene. He dropped down from the rooftops carefully and crouched down, his face mere inches away from the German. "Sag mir, wer do bist." the boy commanded, frowning.

The German stared back at Alek, his face contorted into a mask of hatred. "Nie!" he snarled, a wild look in his eyes. He was panting heavily, his gaze transfixed on the Clanker prince.

Alek patted down the man, and quickly found his scroll. He snatched it up, then relieved the German of the knife and pistol he had on him. "This is what we came for," the boy said, holding the scroll up to his companion.

While Deryn's attention was fixed on Alek and the scroll, the German quickly reared up and threw the girl off of him, kicking Alek to the ground in the process.

Deryn could only look on, dumbfounded, while the man jumped to his feet, untethered his horse, and galloped off into the streets of Istanbul. Alek was the first to recover out of the pair, releasing a steady stream of curses.

The Clanker stood up, brushing dust off of his suit before offering a hand to Deryn. She ignored it, perfectly capable of getting up herself. "Blisters, I can't believe he got away!" She raised her arms above her head in exasperation.

Bovril climbed out from under Deryn's veil and onto her arm. "Paper," the beastie said, looking fixedly at a newspaper on the ground.

Bending down, Alek scooped up the paper. Deryn watched as he read the front article. After a few moments, he dropped the paper and turned to Deryn, blanching. "The Pope is dead," he announced, sounding dead himself.

Inside, Deryn felt a squick of relief, and then mentally berated herself for feeling happiness towards Alek's ruined future. But, the barking Pope was the one who approved of the scroll that her companion treasured so dearly…and now that he was dead, Deryn and Alek had a clear future ahead of them, didn't they?

**Goodness, German man! Stealing Alek's scroll, what DISHONOR. Anyways, that concludes On the Run. I hoped you like it! :D (And no, Deryn and Alek did NOT do anything explicit. Not at all.)**


	14. Newkirk 1

**Sorry I haven't been updating lately, I've been preoccupied with school work. Anywho, I feel like poor Newkirk hasn't been given enough attention. So here's the first in a short story featuring our favorite derp! **

"Hello, Mr. Newkirk. This is Captain Hobbes. Sorry to wake you up so early in the morning, but you are needed in the Navigation Room." Eugene Newkirk jerked awake to the Captain's voice. Stifling a scream, he replied shakily.

"Yes sir, I'll be down in ten minutes…end message." Groaning, the boy rolled out under the covers of his bunk and landed with a rather loud _bang_ onto the fabricated wood floor. Eugene sat up and crawled to the other side of his quarters, and opened his trunk.

_Why did mother make me join the goddamned air force…? _ Eugene thought not for the first time as he changed into his middy's slops. After tying his shoes, the boy checked his watch- an old family watch that his father had given him before the boy joined the air force- and noted to his chagrin that he was already two minutes late.

Newkirk burst out of his room, not bothering to close the door as it swung out and hit the walls, sure to wake up the rest of the crew that wasn't on duty. He ran with the will of a lion chasing down a deer, all the while pulling his midshipman coat on.

"Ah, there you are Mr. Newkirk. I'd expect better from you," the Captain greeted the middy, frowning, "for you are five minutes late."

Gasping for air, Newkirk saluted clumsily and replied, "I'm sorry, sir. I got a bit, um, sidetracked."

"What wa- actually, I don't want to know." Hobbes moved toward the large map of Japan that was mounted on the wall of the Navigation Room and gestured for Newkirk to do the same. "Now, I called you here for a very special reason…" he paused and nodded towards someone else in the room.

The middy followed the Captain's line of vision and was surprised to see one of the ship's boffins present in the room with them. He scolded himself mentally for not paying more attention to his surroundings…but then again, he never was one for paying attention.

Dr. Busk, the boffin present, smiled politely at Newkirk, waiting for the boy to salute him. The middy, realizing that something was amiss, supplied a, "Good mornin', sir," to fill the silence.

Scowling, the boffin looked at the Captain. "Are you absolutely sure that this is the one we want? Why not the other midshipman, Mr. Sharp?"

"Mr. Sharp is still recovering from his adventure in Istanbul, doctor, so Mr. Newkirk was our next choice."

The boffin nodded, skepticism playing across his facial features. "Very well, then. Let's introduce Mr. Newkirk to his mission."


	15. Reunion

***THE FOLLOWING CONTENT CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FROM **_**GOLIATH**_**.* Just putting that out there. So, PLEASE, do not read this fan fiction if you have not read the book yet, unless you enjoy reading spoilers. And if you do, please don't complain that I've spoiled it for you. :I**

"Mammy, where we going?" the three year-old boy whined, pulling at his mother's trousers.

Prince Aleksander of Hohenburg glanced down at his son, pushing up his glasses as he did so. "Art, don't stress out your mother. She's in no condition."

Shooting a withering look at her husband, Deryn Sharp leaned down and picked up little Artemis Franz Ferdinand despite her swollen stomach. Now satisfied that he was once again in his mother's arms, Art promptly stuck his thumb inside his mouth.

"Wily little boy," Bovril chuckled from Alek's shoulder, gray hairs starting to show through his fur.

Deryn and Alek started walking through the streets of London once again, eager to reach their destination. "Do you think they'll let us aboard the ship?"

"Of course, they will! The two of us aboard that beastie was probably the only real action it ever got." She shifted her weight to her good leg. The midshipman had never really recovered from her accident in Mexico.

Noticing her shift in posture, Alek held out his arms to take Art. Deryn complied without argument, breathing a sigh of relief. They now walked hand in hand, Alek carrying Art in one arm and Bovril now resting on Deryn's shoulder.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

After a long but refreshing walk, they finally arrived at the docks. "Vati," the boy stopped playing with his father's coat buttons to point in front of them, "a flying whale!"

Both parents chuckled at this. "Aye, it's a flying whale, all right. But it does have a name, Art. The _Leviathan_."

"Leebyeuhthan," Art tried to say the great airship's name.

"No, Art, it's-"

"Sharp!" Alek was interrupted by a figure emerging from the ship's gondola.

Deryn squinted, muttering under her breath. "Could it be…?" After a few moments, the mysterious figure finally caught up to the family.

The man careened to a stop, holding out a hand. "Mist-erm, Mrs. Sharp. What a pleasure to finally meet you again! Eugene Newkirk, at your service."

"There's no need for any formalities, you dafty. If you try again, I might just steal some of your potatoes!"

Newkirk laughed, and his freckles seemed to dance on his face. "Yes, it looks like you've been eating too many potatoes as it is!" He leaned forward to pat Deryn's stomach to emphasize his point.

After a long moment of silence, an un-amused Alek spoke up. "Deryn's pregnant, Newkirk."

"Oh…" The crewman raised one eyebrow now, looking at Alek, "Is that you, Alek?"

Holding in a bout of laughter, Deryn nodded for a still shocked Alek. "Those are some very nice specs you have there, then!"

Having recovered from Newkirk's previous action, Alek continued to speak. "Aye, I had to get some glasses a few months after leaving the _Leviathan._ That crack in the head I received in the hurricane topside never really healed."

"Meteoric!" Bovril chuckled.

"Really now? What kind-"

Deryn interrupted Newkirk midsentence, "Do you mind if we get one last look around the airship, Newkirk?"

"Why, yes! Of course!" Eugene spun around on his heel and motioned for the family to follow. "Come on!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Newkirk had left the four of them to reminisce and explore the airship after taking them in. He also told them that after they were done, the family was to report to the Navigation Room to meet the captain.

"Blisters," Deryn breathed, running her hand across the railing of the bed. It was hard to believe that she would ever step foot onto the _Leviathan_ again.

Alek came and sat down across from her, setting down young Art as he did so. "It does bring back memories, doesn't it?"

Nodding, she replied, "Aye. You sat in that same spot after my accident in Mexico, remember?"

"And Bovril was sitting on the head of the bed there, waving his wee arms!" The pair of them laughed, and then relapsed back into silence as the rush of memories came back.

Art, who had been chasing Bovril around the cabin until the poor loris had crawled under the bed, now climbed up into the bed with his parents. "Vati, Mammy, can we go asplore now?"

Both parents turned to their son, and Deryn ruffled his dark blonde hair fondly. "Of course, my little airman!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

After wandering the halls and rooms of the Leviathan, Deryn, Alek, Art, and Bovril reported to the Navigation Room. They had just entered the room when they were greeted enthusiastically by the one and only Eddie Malone.

"Eddie Malone, chief editor of the _New York World_. Nice to meet the both of you again, Prince Aleksander and Deryn Sharp!" He leaned forward and shook hands vigorously with the two of them.

Across the room, another man cleared his throat. "Sharp, Aleksander, I give you my warmest regards! And I'm quite sorry for this…reporter to be here. But he managed to convince Newkirk to let him on my ship."

Deryn strode across the room and saluted smartly. "Captain Hobbes, what a pleasure."

Hobbes saluted back and smiled broadly. "You were the best midshipman the _Leviathan_ has ever had, Mrs. Sharp. Even better than that fool, Newkirk, I must say."

Laughing, she replied. "Newkirk isn't all that bad, sir. Just a wee…cracked in the att-" Deryn was interrupted by a flash and a camera click.

"Yes, that's a good photo! But please, let's hear about how everything went after you two left the _Leviathan_, the whole world's been dying to know what ever happened to the famous runaway prince and cross-dressing midshipman!"

Art, who had been set down by Alek upon their arrival in the room, now ambled up to Eddie Malone. "I like you frog, mister."

"Oh, now who is this?" Malone bent down to Art's level and glanced at Deryn and Alek questioningly.

"Our son," they replied simultaneously. Eddie raised an eyebrow and grinned manically.

"This will make for a great story!" He turned back to the toddler. "What's your name, son?"

Casting a look at his parents, who nodded for him to continue, Art replied rather proudly. "Artemis Franz Ferdinand."

"I see," the reporter scribbled down Art's words on his notepad and turned to Alek and Deryn. "I assume that you are pregnant, Mrs. Sharp?"

Rolling her eyes, Deryn replied sarcastically. "No, you ninny, I just ate too many potatoes."

Malone chuckled at this, and went to sit down at the large conference table in the middle of the room. Captain Hobbes, Deryn, and Alek joined him while Art ran around the room, holding out his arms like a fighter plane.

"So what have you two been up to in the Zoological Society of London?" The reporter leaned forward, his shaggy gray hair almost falling into his eyes. Hobbes also leaned forward, expecting an answer.

Deryn and Alek exchanged a look before replying. "I don't think that we are at liberty to discuss that just now, Malone. Dr. Barlow won't let us reveal anything."

"Ah, the accursed lady boffin. Well, I have plenty enough to include in my article." But another question struck the reporter. "So it's been fourteen years now, am I right? How old is your son?"

"Just a wee laddie of three, he is!" Deryn exclaimed fondly. She cast her eyes around the room and watched her son playing with Bovril.

"He's a cute little one, isn't he?" Malone followed her gaze. "Where are you two staying now? A large mansion?"

Chuckling, Alek said, "No, not quite. We just live in a townhouse in London next to Dr. Barlow. She provided for us those first few years before we got married."

"And a splendid marriage that was! That Miss Rogers was there, wasn't she? I read her story on the two of you….unfortunately, I couldn't make it…Anyways, I'm afraid that's all the time I can spare on you two today. Expect to see your family on the front cover of the _New York World_ in a few days!" And with that, Malone swept out of the room.

Deryn turned to Captain Hobbes, who had been quietly listening. "Not like we wanted that ninny at our wedding anyways!"

"Yes, that man is rather annoying. Well, I also have to invite you to leave the ship now. Tomorrow the London Zoo is going to come and collect the _Leviathan_…"

"It was an honor to be able to serve here, sir. Even if I was dressing as a boy when I did."

"And it was an honor to be able to stay on the Leviathan those months back in the Great War."

Tipping his hat, the Captain smiled once again. "And it was an honor to have the both of you on the ship."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Well, I suppose this is good bye, Sharp. At least for a while." Eugene Newkirk shook hands with Deryn and Alek once more.

"Aye, we'll meet up with you again sometime, Newkirk."

"Also, did I tell you that I'm surprised you're both the same height now? I never thought that Alek here would ever grow anymore!" The airman bent over, laughing hard.

Alek, who was never amused by Newkirk replied stiffly. "Aye…I grow."

After one last round of goodbyes, the family departed from the ship and it's crew. When they had gone a considerable distance from Newkirk, Deryn snorted. "I never thought you'd grow any taller either!"

Glancing at Deryn, Alek lightened up. "Well, we were only fifteen at the time."

"Fourteen years ago…blisters, I feel old now!"

"Actually, we're still pretty young, if you think about it. Young parents, that's what we are."

Deryn laughed and punched Alek in the shoulder. "Get stuffed."

**Yep, so I just HAD TO. Because I felt so empty after finishing the series. I'm a bit rusty, as I haven't written anything in a while, but I hope it's acceptable…Anyways, I realized that they called Deryn 'Sharp', so let's just say that Deryn kept her last name, because she's amazing like that! And Newkirk is a derp. :D**


	16. Newkirk 2

**Here's the second part. FINALLY. Sorry for making you lot wait so long; high school has been time consuming. **

Newkirk greedily took hold of the plate of potatoes that Captain Hobbes slid across the table to him. Because he was interrupted from his sleep so early, the poor middy had realized how hungry he was and was now chewing the starched furiously.

"Now, Mr. Newkirk," Captain Hobbes began, "as Dr. Busk mentioned, we do indeed have a special mission in store for you."

The boffin present now took hold of the conversation. "As you know, Mr. Newkirk, the ship is headed towards Japan."

The midshipman's head snapped up to look at the two men and realized that they were now both staring at him, waiting for a response. He flushed a deep red, and pushed the plate of potatoes away. "Er, yes…I did know that we were heading towards Japan, sir-I mean, sirs."

Captain Hobbes exchanged a look with Dr. Busk before continuing. "I would hope that you know where we were headed, boy. Anyways, the Admiral sent us a message through messaging eagle yesterday. He wants us to send one of the ship's middies to investigate one of Japan's top research facilities to gain a better understanding of Japan's standing in Darwinist world power."

"I would assume that middy would be me, Captain?"

"I would hope so, Mr. Newkirk. Or else, I would have to kill you." The captain chuckled, his broad shoulders lifting jerkily as he did.

Eugene Newkirk, on the other hand, was not so amused and pulled at his collar nervously. "Yessum…I'd prefer you not kill me, sir."

Laughing, the large man clapped Newkirk hard on the shoulder. "That's a good lad!"

Dr. Busk now intervened at this point. "If you do not mind, sirs, let's get to the point." The doctor sat down adjacent to Eugene and crossed his arms. "Tomorrow, as the captain has told me, the ship is landing in Japan. We will wait until night time. Then, we shall drop you off in front of the facility. Your job is to go in, investigate the Japanese facility, and report back to us when we pick you up at the front in the morning."

The middy nodded, still a bit dazed from the captain's idea of a joke. "I'll be ready, then."

**Hehe…not my best work. This was typed when I was watching a movie, so my full focus was not on typing this up. So please forgive any errors I made. Nevertheless, at least I got it done! :D**


End file.
